Editing Coral (section)

==Relation to humans==
Local economies near major coral reefs benefit from an abundance of fish and other marine creatures as a food source. Reefs also provide recreational [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkeling]] tourism. These activities can damage coral but international projects such as [[Green Fins]] that encourage dive and snorkel centres to follow a Code of Conduct have been proven to mitigate these risks.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hunt |first1=Chloe V. |last2=Harvey |first2=James J. |last3=Miller |first3=Anne |last4=Johnson |first4=Vivienne |last5=Phongsuwan |first5=Niphon |year=2013 |title=The Green Fins approach for monitoring and promoting environmentally sustainable scuba diving operations in South East Asia |journal=Ocean & Coastal Management |volume=78 |pages=35–44 |doi=10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2013.03.004|bibcode=2013OCM....78...35H }}</ref>

===Jewelry===
{{main|Precious coral}}
[[File:6-Strand Necklace, Navajo (Native American), ca. 1920s, cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|6-strand necklace, [[Navajo people|Navajo]] (Native American), ca. 1920s, [[Brooklyn Museum]]]]
Corals' many colors give it appeal for necklaces and other [[jewelry]]. Intensely red coral is prized as a gemstone. Sometimes called fire coral, it is not the same as [[fire coral]]. Red coral is very rare because of [[overharvesting]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Coral makes a splash|first= Melissa|last= Magsaysay|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-21-ig-coral21-story.html|newspaper= Los Angeles Times|date= June 21, 2009|access-date=January 12, 2013}}</ref> In general, it is inadvisable to give coral as gifts since they are in decline from stressors like climate change, pollution, and unsustainable fishing.

Always considered a precious mineral, "the Chinese have long associated red coral with auspiciousness and longevity because of its color and its resemblance to deer antlers (so by association, virtue, long life, and high rank".<ref>Welch, Patricia Bjaaland, ''Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery''. Tokyo, Rutland and Singapore: Tuttle, 2008, p. 61</ref> It reached its height of popularity during the Manchu or Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) when it was almost exclusively reserved for the emperor's use either in the form of coral beads (often combined with pearls) for court jewelry or as decorative [[Penjing]] (decorative miniature mineral trees). Coral was known as ''shanhu'' in Chinese. The "early-modern 'coral network' [began in] the Mediterranean Sea [and found its way] to Qing China via the English [[East India Company]]".<ref>Lacey, Pippa, "The Coral Network: The trade of red coral to the Qing imperial court in the eighteenth century" in ''The Global Lives of Things'', ed. by Anne Gerritsen and Giorgio Aiello, London: Rutledge, 2016, p. 81</ref> There were strict rules regarding its use in a code established by the [[Qianlong Emperor]] in 1759.

By the middle of the 19th century “coral fisheries” existed in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and elsewhere. An instrument used to retrieve the coral consisted of two beams of heavy wood attached to each other at right angles. Heavy stones were added to make the apparatus sink and netting was attached beneath the device. It is then lowered by a strong rope over an outcrop of coral and the boat trawls over the coral causing it to break off and be caught in the netting. The device is then drawn to the surface by the boat crew.<ref>{{cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge, Vol IV |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=935 |edition=First}}</ref>

===Medicine===
[[Image:ViennaDioscoridesCoral.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Depiction of coral in the [[Juliana Anicia Codex]], a 6th-century copy of [[Dioscorides]]' ''[[De Materia Medica]]''. The facing page states that coral can be used to treat ulcers.<ref>Folio 391, [[Juliana Anicia Codex]]</ref>]]
In medicine, chemical compounds from corals can potentially be used to treat cancer, neurological diseases, inflammation including arthritis, pain, bone loss, high blood pressure and for other therapeutic uses.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Copper|first1=Edwin|last2=Hirabayashi|first2=K.|last3=Strychar|first3=K. B.|last4=Sammarco|first4=P. W.|date=2014|title=Corals and their Potential Applications to Integrative Medicine|journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine|volume=2014|page=9|pmc=3976867|pmid=24757491|doi=10.1155/2014/184959|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Senthilkumar|first1=Kalimuthu|last2=Se-Kwon|first2=Kim|date=2013|title=Marine Invertebrate Natural Products for Anti-Inflammatory and Chronic Diseases.|journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine|volume=2013|pages=572859|pmc=3893779|pmid=24489586|doi=10.1155/2013/572859|doi-access=free}}</ref> Coral skeletons, e.g. ''[[Isididae]]'' are being researched for their potential near-future use for [[bone graft]]ing in humans.<ref name="wiley">{{cite journal |title=Biomaterial structure in deep-sea bamboo coral (Anthozoa: Gorgonacea: Isididae): perspectives for the development of bone implants and templates for tissue engineering |journal=Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik |volume=37 |issue=6 |pages=552–57 |doi= 10.1002/mawe.200600036 |year=2006 |last1=Ehrlich|first1=H. |last2=Etnoyer|first2=P. |last3=Litvinov|first3=S. D. |last4=Olennikova|first4=M.M. |last5=Domaschke|first5=H. |last6=Hanke|first6=T. |last7=Born|first7=R. |last8=Meissner|first8=H. |last9=Worch|first9=H.|s2cid=97972721 }}</ref>
Coral Calx, known as Praval Bhasma in [[Sanskrit]], is widely used in traditional system of [[Ayurveda|Indian medicine]] as a supplement in the treatment of a variety of bone metabolic disorders associated with calcium deficiency.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Reddy PN, Lakshmana M, Udupa UV |title=Effect of Praval bhasma (Coral calx), a natural source of rich calcium on bone mineralization in rats |journal=Pharmacological Research |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=593–99 |date=December 2003 |pmid=14527824 |doi=10.1016/S1043-6618(03)00224-X }}</ref> In classical times ingestion of pulverized coral, which consists mainly of the weak base [[calcium carbonate]], was recommended for calming stomach ulcers by [[Galen]] and [[Dioscorides]].<ref>Pedanius Dioscorides – Der Wiener Dioskurides, Codex medicus Graecus 1 der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek Graz: [[Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt]] 1998 fol. 391 verso (Band 2), Kommentar S. 47 und 52. {{ISBN|3-201-01725-6}}</ref>

===Construction===
Coral reefs in places such as the East African coast are used as a source of [[building material]].<ref name="Pouwels2002">{{cite book |last=Pouwels |first=Randall L.|title=Horn and Crescent: Cultural Change and Traditional Islam on the East African Coast, 800–1900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iyw-_NMk0bgC&pg=PA26 |date=6 June 2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52309-7 |page=26}}</ref> Ancient (fossil) coral limestone, notably including the [[Coral Rag Formation]] of the hills around [[Oxford]] (England), was once used as a building stone, and can be seen in some of the oldest buildings in that city including the Saxon tower of [[St Michael at the Northgate]], St. George's Tower of [[Oxford Castle]], and the medieval walls of the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Strategic Stone Study: A Building Stone Atlas of Oxfordshire |url=https://www.bgs.ac.uk/downloads/start.cfm?id=1617 |publisher=English Heritage |access-date=23 April 2015 |date=March 2011}}</ref>

===Shoreline protection===
Healthy coral reefs absorb 97 percent of a wave's energy, which buffers shorelines from currents, waves, and storms, helping to prevent loss of life and property damage. Coastlines protected by coral reefs are also more stable in terms of erosion than those without.<ref name=Ferrario>{{cite journal |author1=Ferrario, F. |author2=Beck, M.W. |author3=Storlazzi, C.D. |author4=Micheli, F. |author5=Shepard, C.C. |author6=Airoldi, L. | title=The effectiveness of coral reefs for coastal hazard risk reduction and adaptation | journal=Nature Communications | year=2014 | volume=5 | issue=3794 |page=3794 | doi= 10.1038/ncomms4794|pmid=24825660 |pmc=4354160 | bibcode=2014NatCo...5.3794F }}</ref>

===Local economies===
Coastal communities near coral reefs rely heavily on them. Worldwide, more than 500 million people depend on coral reefs for food, income, coastal protection, and more.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/scr2004v1-all.pdf|title=Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2004 Volume 1|publisher=Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network|access-date=2019-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617115005/http://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/scr2004v1-all.pdf|archive-date=2019-06-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> The total economic value of coral reef services in the United States – including fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection – is more than $3.4 billion a year.

===Aquaria===
{{main|Reef aquarium}}
[[File:Zoanthus-dragon-eye.jpg|right|thumb|This dragon-eye zoanthid is a popular source of color in reef tanks.]]
The saltwater fishkeeping hobby has expanded, over recent years, to include [[Reef aquarium|reef tanks]], fish tanks that include large amounts of [[live rock]] on which coral is allowed to grow and spread.<ref>[http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/1/corals Aquarium Corals: Collection and Aquarium Husbandry of Northeast Pacific Non-Photosynthetic Cnidaria] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606164618/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/1/corals |date=2017-06-06 }}. Advancedaquarist.com (2011-01-14). Retrieved on 2016-06-13.</ref> These tanks are either kept in a natural-like state, with algae (sometimes in the form of an [[algae scrubber]]) and a deep sand bed providing filtration,<ref>[http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-10/newbie/index.php Reefkeeping 101 – Various Nutrient Control Methods]. Reefkeeping.com. Retrieved on 2016-06-13.</ref> or as "show tanks", with the rock kept largely bare of the algae and [[microfauna]] that would normally populate it,<ref>[http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aquariummaintenancecare/a/sandlrcleaning.htm Aquarium Substrate & Live Rock Clean Up Tips] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806201853/http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aquariummaintenancecare/a/sandlrcleaning.htm |date=2016-08-06 }}. Saltaquarium.about.com. Retrieved on 2016-06-13.</ref> in order to appear neat and clean.

The most popular kind of coral kept is [[soft coral]], especially [[zoanthid]]s and mushroom corals, which are especially easy to grow and propagate in a wide variety of conditions, because they originate in enclosed parts of reefs where water conditions vary and lighting may be less reliable and direct.<ref>[http://marinebio.org/oceans/coral-reefs.asp Coral Reefs] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130625040003/http://marinebio.org/oceans/coral-reefs.asp |date=2013-06-25 }}. Marinebio.org. Retrieved on 2016-06-13.</ref> More serious fishkeepers may keep small polyp [[stony coral]], which is from open, brightly lit reef conditions and therefore much more demanding, while large polyp stony coral is a sort of compromise between the two.

===Aquaculture===
{{main|Aquaculture of coral}}
[[Aquaculture of coral|Coral aquaculture]], also known as ''coral farming'' or ''coral gardening'', is the cultivation of corals for commercial purposes or coral reef restoration. Aquaculture is showing promise as a potentially effective tool for restoring [[coral reef]]s, which have been declining around the world.<ref name="Horoszowski-Fridman">{{cite journal |vauthors=Horoszowski-Fridman YB, Izhaki I, Rinkevich B| year=2011 |title=Engineering of coral reef larval supply through transplantation of nursery-farmed gravid colonies |journal=Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology |volume=399 |issue=2| pages=162–66 |doi=10.1016/j.jembe.2011.01.005| bibcode=2011JEMBE.399..162H }}</ref><ref name="Pomeroy">{{cite journal |last1=Pomeroy |first1=Robert S. |last2=Parks |first2=John E. |last3=Balboa |first3=Cristina M. |year=2006 |title=Farming the reef: Is aquaculture a solution for reducing fishing pressure on coral reefs? |journal=Marine Policy |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=111–30 |doi=10.1016/j.marpol.2004.09.001|bibcode=2006MarPo..30..111P }}</ref><ref name="Rinkevich">{{cite journal|author=Rinkevich B |year=2008 |title=Management of coral reefs: We have gone wrong when neglecting active reef restoration |url=http://www.ocean.org.il/Eng/_documents/Management-of-coral-reefs.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523175241/http://www.ocean.org.il/Eng/_documents/Management-of-coral-reefs.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-05-23 |journal=Marine Pollution Bulletin |volume=56 |issue=11 |pages=1821–24 |doi=10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.08.014 |pmid=18829052 |bibcode=2008MarPB..56.1821R }}</ref> The process bypasses the early growth stages of corals when they are most at risk of dying. Coral fragments known as "seeds" are grown in nurseries then replanted on the reef.<ref name="Ferse">{{cite journal |last1=Ferse |first1=Sebastian C.A. |year=2010|title=Poor Performance of Corals Transplanted onto Substrates of Short Durability |journal=Restoration Ecology |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=399–407 |doi=10.1111/j.1526-100X.2010.00682.x|bibcode=2010ResEc..18..399F |s2cid=83723761 }}</ref> Coral is farmed by coral farmers who live locally to the reefs and farm for reef [[Conservation movement|conservation]] or for income. It is also farmed by scientists for research, by businesses for the supply of the live and ornamental coral trade and by private [[aquarium]] hobbyists.